History Literature / TheLoveOfThreeOranges

* AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent: In almost all of the variants, the tale begins with the hero's quest for the fruit maiden, who brings her home, but leaves her atop a tree. From this point on, the tale changes its focus on the fruit maiden's cycle of transformations/reincarnations until she is restored to human(oid) form and reunites with her fiancée.

* InterspeciesRomance: The prince/hero in most of the variants is a normal human male, and the fruit maiden is described as a fairy (in Iranian variants, as a peri).

* BornFromPlants: The heroine in most of the variants comes out of a citrus fruit. Alternatively, she can come out of another type of fruit, or even a reed.

* DarkIsEvil: The fruit maiden's rival is described as a slavewoman, a Black, Moorish/Moor or Gypsy woman, often implying that she has dark skin. She is also the antagonist of the tale: she replaces the fruit maiden and curses her into another form, and tricks the prince.

* [[https://www.gutenberg.org/files/64807/64807-h/64807-h.htm#THE_THREE_ORANGE-PERIS The Orange-Peris]], from Turkey.

* [[http://www.mythfolklore.net/andrewlang/096.htm The Enchanted Canary]] a French variant

!! Tropes in these stories.

* BreadOfSurvival: In some variants of the story, the hero fetches three fruits with maidens inside and cuts open each one, releasing a maiden. Each of the maidens asks for bread, but, since he cannot provide them with some, they disappear or die soon after. The only exception is the third maiden, to whom he gives the bread she requested, thus allowing her to live.

* HeroesWantRedheads: The oldest variant describes the beautiful woman as "white as cheese and red as blood" - the red is usually interpreted as red hair.

* BornFromPlants: The heroine in most of the variants comes out of a citrud fruit. Alternatively, she can come out of another type of fruit, or even a reed.

* BornFromPlants: The heroine in most of the variants comes out of a citron fruit. Alternatively, she can come out of another type of fruit, or even a reed.

Compare ''Literature/{{Momotaro}}'' and ''Literature/UrikohimeAndTheAmanojaku'', characters from Japanese folklore that are also bron from fruits.